The church’s flagship ensemble, the FPC Sanctuary Choir is one of the premiere adult church choirs in the Midwest region of the United States. With a membership of 85 volunteer singers, the Sanctuary Choir offers a variety of great choral music at two worship services on Sunday mornings from September through May, and select Sundays during the summer including the church’s annual Jazz Liturgy during the Bix Jazz Festival. The choir has a rich history of providing great music in the Quad Cities, having been featured for over two decades as part of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Pops concerts and twice on national PBS-TV. The choir has recently performed masterworks with orchestra by composers such as J.S. Bach, Franz Schubert, Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Gerald Finzi.

The Sanctuary Choir has commissioned and premiered a number of choral works and arrangements, including anthems by such renowned composers as William Mathias, Howard Helvey, John Gere, Gary Fry, Stephen Mager, and Mack Wilberg; building on the choir’s commitment to creating new music, the 2017-2018 season features a new commission by Hollywood film composer Jay Flood. The choir has also worked with such distinguished composers and conductors as Jester Hairston, Andrew Carter, and Dale Warland. The choir’s tour of Germany includes performances in historic churches in the German cities of Berlin, Leipzig, Erfurt, and Kaiserslautern (Davenport’s sister city); additionally, in Berlin and Kaiserslautern the choir partners with the Presbyterian Mission Agency and Elim-Zentrum to offer aid and connection to refugee populations.

Matthew Bishop, Music Director and Conductor

Matthew Bishop is the Director of Music at the historic First Presbyterian Church of Davenport, Iowa, and is the founding music director and conductor of the Summer Sinfonietta—an orchestra presenting free summer concerts to the Tallahassee community. Studying with Alexander Jiménez, Matthew recently completed his Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting at Florida State University. While at FSU, Matthew served as assistant conductor of the FSU Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonia, and was music director of the university’s Campus Orchestra. He also taught undergraduate conducting classes.

Originally from Centre, Alabama, Matthew received his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Furman University (Greenville, SC), studying with Derek Parsons and David Gross. He received his first Master of Music degree in historical musicology from Florida State University with a thesis on the early orchestral music of Howard Hanson. He frequently collaborates as a chamber musician and as an accompanist, playing for singers, instrumentalists and for operatic productions. He is also active as an early music keyboardist.

Matthew is in frequent demand for his versatility on the podium, and has worked with various new music, early music, theatre, and community orchestras. Matthew is also an accomplished choral conductor, having served as music director for choirs in South Carolina and Florida, often conducting performances of major choral-orchestral works.

Dalaie Choi, Organist

A native of Seoul, South Korea, Dalaie Choi received her Bachelor of Music degree at Yonsei University, where she studied church music with a major in Choral Conducting with Haeok Eunice Bang-Kim. She also holds minors in organ and voice. Also from Yonsei University she received her Master of Music degree in Music History and was awarded a University Fellowship for her graduate studies. She held a Teaching Assistant position in the music history department and a Research Assistant position at Yonsei Institute of Music Research. Dalaie has participated in multiple music festivals including, the Oregon Bach Festival and the Stuttgart Oregon Bach Festival. Dalaie has been active as a choir member throughout Korea and Europe, including the Kurhaus and Gewandhaus in Germany.

After moving to the United States, she studied music history at Temple University in Philadelphia. In 2009, she began study at the University of Iowa to study organ music, and received her second Master of Music degree in 2012. During her time at Iowa, she received a Church Music Certificate for additional theological studies.

As an organist, she has performed at many venues throughout the United States and Europe, most notably Santa Maria del Coro in Spain, Michealskirche in Leipzig. She has participated in masterclasses with several accomplished organists, including Paul Jacobs, Delbert Disselhorst, and James Higdon. Her recitals in the United States have been broadcast on TV station including KWQC in the Quad Cities.

Dalaie currently studies organ with Dr. Gregory Hand in the University of Iowa, and serves as organist at Timonium United Methodist Church in Maryland.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

"I bet you don't wanna miss an afternoon filled with

an inspirational music for your soul."

Come One, Come All!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

In the spirit of the 500 year celebration of the Lutheran Reformation we will be having a festive day with special music in both the Traditional 11:00 Service and the 13:30 Gospel-Praise Service.

In between the services we will be having a Welcome to ACB Potluck in honor of our Interim Pastor Ben with his wife Margit and Intern Pastor Jim with his wife Isabel and new born son Ezra!

PLEASE join us on this day, bring a dish to share and a friend to celebrate God’s Goodness and Grace throughout the generations.

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We are an ecumenical, international church. Our members come from more than 17 Christian denominations and 30 different nations. With all the diversity of our backgrounds, we are united by our Christian faith, the English language and the spirit of generosity that appreciates and rejoices in our differences as well as in all we have in common as Christian sisters and brothers.

Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM

Sunday Gospel Praise Worship: 1:30 PM

Sunday School (Sundays) 11:00 AM during worship

Confirmation: (Sundays) 12:15 to 1:15 PM

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